This book tells the story of a collection of paintings that belonged to the earls of Suffolk and Berkshire prior to being gifted to the nation in 1974. The paintings date from the late 16th century to the late 19th century and are made up of family portraits, royal portraits and old masters. The collection contains significant, early, full-length English portraits which depict a fascinating family history in the Jacobean times and key personalities of that period. This lavishly illustrated book includes full catalogue entries for all the items in the collection. It explores the Suffolk Collection from a number of points of view – with contributions from leading specialists in their field – and reassesses the identities of the sitters, considers the artists, their context, the society and family history at the different times, as well as discussing in detail the costume represented and the physical condition of the paintings. Together, the chapters provide a fascinating insight into the collection and its history.